37 Ways to Get Traffic to Your Site

Intr

o Each and every business today can benefit from a website. It can be a promo9onal site, an extension of your sales or services, and even the en9rety of your business if you’re online-‐only. Once you’ve got a website developed and ready to go, you’ve got to get people visi9ng it. Here are 37 ways to drive the traffic you need to your site and earn the online exposure you want.

Online Advertising

#1

Pay Per Click Text ads through Google AdWords, MicrosoJ adCenter, or any third-‐party PPC client.

#2

Search Engine Optmization Embed keywords into your site content that draws traffic from relevant search results.

#3

Blogging for Business

Keep a business-‐relevant blog with regular updates, and you’ll be rewarded with higher page ranking and more search traffic from web searches.

#4

Twitter The premiere microblogging social network service. Reach out to thousands of customers, professionals, and associates in under 140 characters.

#5

Facebook The gold standard of online communica9on and social networking. Facebook Pages for Business let you customize your promo9ons, and per-‐click adver9sements can draw extra traffic.

#6

Google+ Google’s answer to Facebook, now with integrated search results. Establish a profile for your business, reach out to customers, and improve your page rank with upcoming AuthorRank search engine perks.

#7

Google Places Tell Google about your business, and it will show up in local relevant searches with your informa9on. Help Google help others find you.

#8

Pinterest This hot new social sharing website is a favorite for older crowds willing to explore and spend more. Excellent for building posi9ve feedback with poten9al customers.

#9

YouTube Can you produce a lot of useful or entertaining video through your business? Host your own video content on Youtube, or adver9se with the service for addi9onal exposure.

#10

Yelp Monitor what your customers think of your business, improve your services from direct sugges9ons, and encourage customers to drive traffic to your site by reviewing you online.

#11

Other Social Media

Go to where your customers are. Foursquare, LinkedIn, online forums; just about anywhere you can reach poten9al customers is untapped poten9al.

#12

Banners Purchasing ad placements through third-‐party services can be pricey, but if your customers will see it, it may be worth the expense.

#13

Affiliate Advertising

Adver9se other products and services your customers may appreciate, or adver9se your own business on other relevant websites.

#14

Email Newsletters

Staying in touch with past customers is easy with email blasts and newsle]ers. Turn previous visitors into repeat customers with email campaigns.

#15

Local Savings Offers Online

Sites like Groupon and Livingsocial can distribute discounts coupons online and generate buzz for your website.

#16

Purchasing Untargeted

Traffic If you’re hur9ng for hits, you can sink money into untargeted traffic that may or may not bite on your website. Truly a last resort—your money can be be]er spent elsewhere.

Unplugged

#17

Print Ads Purchasing newspaper and magazine ads is a great way to a]ract a]en9on off the internet.

#18

Event Sponsorships Drum up goodwill towards your business and your website by underwri9ng or hos9ng an event, locally or na9onally.

#19

Word of Mouth Nothing beats posi9ve promo9ons directly from happy customers. Make your customers and clients happy, and they’ll send more business to you.

#20

Local Business Affiliations

Partner with small businesses in your area and cross-‐promote each other’s products and services.

#21

Promotional Products

Order a set of branded pens, notepads, or any other inexpensive, fun items. Give these away in-‐house or on-‐loca9on at professional events with a link to your website.

#22

Direct Mail Kits

Direct mailers can be more than informa9ve. Sending calendars, promo9onal items, or interac9ve “pop-‐up” mailers can make an excellent impression and drive interest towards your website.

#23

Press Releases Publishing press releases for your services and distribu9ng them to news outlets can get added exposure to your site. Press releases can be published online, as well, and appear in searches.

#24

Awareness Campaigns

Sponsor awareness campaigns for causes and chari9es. If you’ve been affected by breast cancer, sponsor a Breast Cancer Awareness Month event or campaign.

#25

TV and Radio TV and radio can extend your business’s reach with a well-‐placed interview or commercial purchase.

#26

Local Discounts

Offer local customers with return discounts, membership bonuses, and more. Reward your loyal customers with online and offline deals.

#27

Branding Makeover

Consider rebranding your business with a new logo, a refreshed website and an a]rac9ve new edge over your compe99on. Image can make the difference between loyal business and unimpressed visitors.

Creative

#28

QR Codes Leave a hyperlink in physical space. Generate QR codes for print materials and send users to your mobile site directly.

#29

Viral Content Never underes9mate the power of viral content. Entertainment worth sharing can a]ract hundreds of thousands of new poten9al customers overnight.

#30

Alternate Reality Games If you’re promo9ng a larger client or need to generate some long-‐term buzz, an ARG can grab the interests of dedicated customers and hobby sleuths by wrapping your brand in mystery and intrigue. Very complicated to pull off, but it can keep your brand viral for months.

#31

Layar Set up virtual installa9ons and promo9onal materials in physical space. Invite customers to visit the virtual side of your physical loca9on, or send them on a digital scavenger hunt into the real world. Layar is a fun li]le service with infinite possibili9es.

#32

Mobile App Many small towns and small business communi9es have found mobile apps to be an interes9ng new source of traffic and customer leads. Smartphone users engage with apps longer than they do standard adver9sements.

#33

Brand Your Vehicle

If you’re doing a lot of in-‐town commu9ng, your car can a]ract new traffic by branding your business or personal vehicle with your company’s address.

#34

Operate Uniquely

Are you doing something original? Is your business like no other? Your unique approach to business is definitely worth some addi9onal exposure, be it from online interest ar9cles and interviews, or local TV and radio reports.

#35

Involve Customers

Gegng personal and reaching out to your customers can turn them into evangelists and advocates for your brand. Empower word of mouth adver9sing with a personal approach to communica9ng with your customers.

#36

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an online crowd-‐funding plahorm. If you have a good idea, throw it on the site and let the community help you fund it. Just about anything and everything can be funded through Kickstarter if it gathers enough interest and is useful to a wider audience.

#37

Local Improvement

Projects Give back to your community by sponsoring improvement projects and gegng your customers and neighbors involved. Get your hands dirty, do something good for your community, and you’ll see results in your business and online traffic.

Conc

lusi

on

These are primarily adver9sing techniques, but the secret to a]rac9ng traffic to your website is to be a good marketer for your company. These ideas are just star9ng points, and it’s up to you to find out what works best for your business. If you have any other excellent sugges9ons for a]rac9ng traffic, tell us about it!